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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEPress Release #05-43Tuesday, June 14, 2005

DOT to Build New Bike Path to Manhattan Bridge in Brooklyn

The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) today announced plans for the construction of a new two-way bicycle path on Sands Street, between Navy Street and the Manhattan Bridge Bike Path entrance. The new bike path will be 1/3 of a mile long and will be designed to accommodate a large number of cyclists. Construction on the bike path will begin in 2006, in conjunction with the ongoing Flushing Avenue reconstruction project.

"Bicycling is booming in Brooklyn and Sands Street turned into a popular route to and from the Manhattan Bridge," said DOT Commissioner Iris Weinshall. "We continue to look for ways to help cyclists safely navigate City streets and this new bike path will make the trip much easier," she said.

The Sands Street Path will serve as a traffic free connection between the Manhattan Bridge and the future Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway and is part of the expanding network of cycling facilities in Brooklyn. The new path will run down the center of Sands Street on a raised median, completely separating cyclists from vehicular traffic. The median will also prevent dangerous and illegal left turns from westbound Sands Street to the westbound BQE on-ramp. Since 2002, the number of bicyclists using the Manhattan Bridge has nearly doubled. After the opening of the north path in the summer of 2004 the percentage of cyclists using Sands Street to get to and from the bridge has increased from roughly 10% to 40%.

Over the last four years DOT has made significant improvements to the cycling infrastructure in Brooklyn by creating 10 new miles of bike lanes and a bicycle only path on the north side of the Manhattan Bridge. During this same period injuries to cyclists in the greater downtown Brooklyn area fell by 20%.